Steven A

SB Nation's five predictions for the BIG: 1) Penn State finishes with a better record than Ohio State [I could see this happening] Let’s start off with perhaps the boldest prediction on my list — I think head coach Matt Campbell is going to have his first Nittany Lions team ready to go right away in 2026, so much so that they finish with a better record than the Buckeyes. Campbell brought in 38 new players this offseason via the transfer portal, with a plethora of them being from his old stomping grounds of Iowa State. Quarterback Rocco Becht, wide receiver Chase Sowell, tight end Ben Brahmer and linebacker Caleb Bacon are just a few of the former Cyclones that Campbell convinced to enter the transfer portal and commit to Penn State. In addition, Penn State’s 2026 schedule is a cakewalk. The Nittany Lions avoid Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon in the regular season, and play another weak slate of non-conference games against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo. The final month of the season also sets them up for a nice postseason run, with games at Washington, vs Minnesota, vs Rutgers and at Maryland. All in all, I’m buying the short-term hype and have Penn State winning 10 games. Ohio State, on the other hand, has road games against Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC and Nebraska this season, while also hosting Michigan, Oregon and Illinois. And while the Buckeyes bring back several star players on both sides of the ball, I think there are a few slip ups awaiting them, resulting in a 9-3 regular season. 2) Two West Coast teams make the Big Ten Championship [I think they are half right] The pressure is mounting on USC head coach Lincoln Riley, and that may be an understatement. The Trojans need a big season in the worst way, and I think they finally get over the hump and at least make it to the Big Ten Championship Game. USC came close to making the CFP last season and returns one of the most experienced rosters in the Big Ten. Several projections have the Trojans among the top four teams in the league entering the year, and while that may be a bit too bold for my blood, I can understand why people view them that way. The Trojans have been defined by their explosive offenses and inconsistent defenses under Riley, but this will be the season that everything comes together and the patience from the USC faithful pays off. Quarterback Jayden Maiava will put together an All-Big Ten type of season, and USC will win several close games that slipped away in previous years. The Trojans break through to reach Indianapolis for the first time since joining the Big Ten. Awaiting them in Indianapolis will be Oregon, one of the preseason favorites to win the national title. Dante Moore coming back was huge for Dan Lanning and the Ducks, so I fully expect them to get back to the conference title game and compete for another championship. 3) Indiana misses the Big Ten Championship, still makes the CFP [I think it will be an interesting log jam at the top, so could happen] The defending national champions are going to make this prediction look foolish if head coach Curt Cignetti keeps proving doubters wrong (all they have to do is Google him!). Not saying I’m a doubter of Indiana, necessarily, especially after last season, but I do think they will take a step back in 2026. There are a few reasons I feel this way, but most of it has to do with the Hoosiers losing key players from last year’s team like quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and wide receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., to name a few. And while TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover gives Indiana another veteran option at the most important position in sports to hopefully help them continue the program’s success, I think the departures this offseason are a bit too much to overcome. Still, I expect Indiana to still be competitive and make the 12-team CFP. 4) Pat Fitzgerald, MSU exceed expectations by winning 6 games [Not ready to buy-in] I didn’t like the hire of Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State, I loved it. And as a Michigan fan, I really hate that. Fitzgerald was a tough-nosed SOB at Northwestern for a long time and gave Michigan fits in games that really shouldn’t have been that close (I’m flashing back to Karan Higdon’s “holding” call at Northwestern in 2018). I don’t know how the Spartans will be long-term, but I think there is some juice in the program that will help them get to the six-win mark and make a bowl game in 2026. The Spartans return quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who impressed me after taking over for a struggling Aidan Chiles last season. Milivojevic completed 64.2 percent of his throws for 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games — seven of those 10 touchdowns were thrown in the month of November alone after earning the starting job. I think there’s more to his game to unlock, and if he’s able to take a step forward this fall, the Spartans could be much better than we all originally thought. Additionally, other than a trip to Notre Dame in Week 3, MSU’s schedule isn’t all that difficult. The Spartans have to travel to Ann Arbor this year for their annual beating to Michigan, and they do host Oregon in late November. But the rest of the schedule isn’t a murderer’s row by any means, featuring teams like Northwestern, UCLA, Wisconsin and Rutgers. As long as they win those four games, they will have a great shot at making a bowl game. 5) Michigan goes 9-3 again [Nope, 4 L's at least with that schedule] There is no denying the Wolverines have an upgraded coaching staff heading into the 2026 season. That alone should help them contend in the biggest games on their schedule, unlike last season when they lost every single big game in sight. Kyle Whittingham is a fantastic head coach, and he brought in assistants like offensive coordinator Jason Beck, defensive coordinator Jay Hill, offensive line coach Jim Harding and more that should help in a variety of ways. Whittingham also brought in some talented players via the portal like John Henry Daley, Smith Snowden, Jaime Ffrench, JJ Buchanan and more that should be able to significantly contribute this year. However, that doesn’t automatically guarantee immediate success. Michigan has one of the hardest schedules in the country, if not the most challenging overall. Yes, the Wolverines only have one road game prior to a date at Rutgers on Halloween, but they have to host Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State and Indiana before then. November road games at Oregon and Ohio State also don’t inspire confidence for me. All in all, I believe the Wolverines will improve in several statistical categories, but they will still finish the regular season 9-3 overall and on the outside looking in for the CFP. Just to be extra bold, I’ll predict they lose to Penn State, Oregon and Ohio State.

ewe dub seems a bit butt-hurt and chats downplay the pickups Reyna: I like his potential but I haven't seen the Ducks do very well developing raw potential. He'll get a nice bump in the ratings now that he's committed to Oregon. Yeah, they will rate him a top5 edge with five stars, lol In this day and age there's no such thing. No way this kid lasts more than one season at Oregon. He'll be forced out and in the transfer portal after his true frosh season. I feel for the kid ... the Ducks don't know how to actually develop and maximize talent. They're great at buying elite athletes, but it's been a while since they consistently developed guys.

Time to re-seed? Georgia’s the perfect case study for why the NCAA needs a major CWS rule change

Top 10 RBs Ducks will face this year. The best running backs Oregon will face in 2026 based upon PFF grades

Enrollee Braylon Hodge 4 star, 6'3" 215# LB Early Enrollee Spring Rewind: Braylon Hodge

Can't teach height, 6' 3" 180#s In-State WR Malachi Garlington flips commitment to Oregon Ducks Three-Star Portland TE George VanSandt locks in commitment with Oregon Ducks

Well, we have some chopped liver later this week as TrackTown hosts the NCAAs!

Kiara Romero, Oregon junior golfer finishes as top amateur at Women's U.S. Open Romero Earns Silver Medal As Low Amateur At U.S. Women's Open - University of Oregon Athletics

Which is probably being touted as a reason to "sign" with a favorable tax state school . . . HELLO Miami!

Absolute madness. Brendan Sorsby granted injunction to play for Texas Tech in 2026 - Yahoo Sports

It's a shame Ducks not in CWS per Texas coach. Texas Coach Jim Schlossnagle’s ‘Shame’ Quote Says Everything About Oregon Baseball

I have mixed emotions about this. Can't blame them on one hand but sure seems like a waste of most of the money. Hopefully, they will look back and learn something from this. Unfortunately, I think a new "arms race" of prom spending is happening.

TE recruit Malik Howard chooses hometown Tennessee. Ducks now focused on another Tennessee product, 6' 4 ' 235# Colton Johnson. Oregon Shifts Attention to Elite Tight End Recruit After Malik Howard Decision

Not looking good for Gabriel in Cleveland. Former Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel facing uphill battle in Cleveland

Top QBs Ducks will face this year. List seems skewed due to lower division/conference transfers. The best quarterbacks Oregon will face in 2026 based upon PFF grades

Ducks having two, No. 7 Toa Satlele & No. 21 Brandon Lockley Jr., of the 18 committed top 25 linebackers ties them with Oklahoma, Ohio St & Miami. Top linebacker recruits in the updated 2027 Rivals300 - Yahoo Sports

This is a fun read. "If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If the law is on your side, pound the law. If neither the facts nor the law is on your side, pound the table." Sankey is channeling his inner Khrushchev. Why would SEC's Greg Sankey deny Big Ten superiority? Here's one idea

People still invite you to those things??? Or are you just looking out for the rest of us???

At the time he left, $900K was beyond what Oregon was willing to spend.

Several great lines in this article: New Year’s Day used to feel like an even better version of Super Bowl Sunday. But nostalgia is not a business model. It is not a legal framework. It is not a serious answer to the problems inside college athletics. The amount of money being spent on ever larger support staffs, head coach buyouts, long-term coaching contracts, recruiting departments, roster management departments, nutrition staffs, analysts, consultants and the continuing facilities arms race are just as big a problem as NIL spending. When schools were building palaces for football players to walk through, that was called commitment. When coaches started earning salaries that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, that was called the market. When buyouts became the price of bad decisions, that was called business. When conferences chased television money across the map, that was called survival. When athletic departments hired more staffers than most fans could name, that was called keeping up. But when players started getting paid in a way that was no longer hidden, suddenly college sports had lost its way. Flock Talk: Money Was Always the Problem ~ Duck Sports Central

Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today will not be getting a Christmas card from at least one St. Nick! Nick Saban's 9 laugh out loud quotes during Congress testimony

Andy Staples weighs in on his podcast. Big Ten & SEC vs. the Senate: Is a super league imminent? - Yahoo Sports Petitti calls super league a fabrication. Sounds like the dreaded "vote of confidence". Tony Petitti calls idea of Big Ten-SEC super league ‘a fabrication’ after Senate hearing - Yahoo Sports Notre Dame AD makes a case for a super league while downplaying it. Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua makes unintentional super league pitch - Yahoo Sports

Seems Senator Cruz wants to talk to Sankey and Petitti Thursday. SEC, Big Ten vs. everybody? 'Protect College Sports' bill politicians rail against Power 2 leagues in pivotal hearing - Yahoo Sports

ESPN names Koi Perich among top non QBs Oregon Ducks S Koi Perich among top non-QBs in 2026, per ESPN

Early enrollee Azel Banag, 5'11" 4 star DB Early Enrollee Spring Rewind: Azel Banag